This invention relates to components used in testing systems for integrated circuit packages, and more particularly to a mechanism for efficiently loading a respective fuzz button into each of a high number of button holes within an IC contactor used for testing of integrated circuit packages.
In a testing system for testing a relatively large integrated circuit, such as a modem microprocessor for example, an integrated circuit contactor (also named a fuzz button contactor) has a respective fuzz button loaded into each of 321 button holes. Each fuzz button is a conductive granule that provides a conductive path from an integrated circuit package testing system to a respective one of 321 pins from the integrated circuit package for holding the relatively large integrated circuit.
Referring to FIG. 1, a top view of an example fuzz button contactor 102 shows a plurality of button holes. An example button hole 104 holds an example fuzz button 106. A fuzz button contactor has at least one row of a predetermined number of button holes. A fuzz button contactor used for testing the integrated circuit package for a modem microprocessor has a total of 321 button holes for example. However, for clarity of illustration, the fuzz button contactor 102 of FIG. 1 has eight rows of five button holes including a first row 108 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a second row 110 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a third row 112 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a fourth row 114 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a fifth row 116 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a sixth row 118 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), a seventh row 120 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1), and an eighth row 122 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1).
In the prior art, a respective fuzz button is manually placed into each of the button holes of the fuzz button contactor 102. A human operator examines a fuzz button visually to determine that the fuzz button is not defectively shaped such that the fuzz button would fit into a button hole. Then, the human operator manually places the fuzz button into an empty button hole on the fuzz button contactor 102. However, such manual inspection and placement of a respective fuzz button into each of the button holes of the fuzz button contactor 102 requires much time and labor, especially when the fuzz button contactor is used for testing a relatively large integrated circuit package such as a fuzz button contactor having 321 button holes.
Thus, a mechanism is desired for more efficiently filtering out defectively shaped fuzz buttons and for more efficiently placing a respective fuzz button into each of a high number of button holes on the fuzz button contactor.
Accordingly, the present invention is a method and apparatus for efficiently placing a respective fuzz button into each of a high number of button holes on the fuzz button contactor while also efficiently filtering out defectively shaped fuzz buttons.
Generally, the present invention is a method and apparatus for loading a respective fuzz button into each button hole of at least one row of a predetermined number of button holes within a fuzz button contactor. The present invention includes a slot plate having the predetermined number of slots aligned as a row of slots, and fuzz buttons are placed into each of the slots of the slot plate. The present invention also includes a contactor jig having at least one row of the predetermined number of jig holes. These jig holes are disposed on the contactor jig as a mirror image of the at least one row of the predetermined number of button holes on the fuzz button contactor when the contactor jig is properly aligned with the fuzz button contactor.
A respective fuzz button from a respective slot of the slot plate is transferred into each empty jig hole of a row of jig holes of the contactor jig by aligning the row of slots with the row of jig holes such that each slot is aligned with a respective jig hole. The slot plate is then tilted such that a respective fuzz button slides from a respective slot of the slot plate into each empty jig hole of the row of jig holes. The transfer of a respective fuzz button from a respective slot of the slot plate into each empty jig hole of a row of jig holes is repeated for each of the at least one row of the predetermined number of jig holes on the contactor jig.
The present invention further includes alignment units disposed on the contactor jig and on the fuzz button contactor for properly aligning the contactor jig with the fuzz button contactor such that each jig hole on the contact jig faces a respective button hole on the fuzz button contactor.
In addition, the present invention includes a dummy integrated circuit package that is pushed into the contactor jig after the fuzz button contactor has been properly aligned with the contactor jig. The dummy integrated circuit package has a respective pin that pushes out a respective fuzz button within each jig hole on the contactor jig into a respective button hole on the fuzz button contactor when the dummy integrated circuit package is pushed into the contactor jig.
With the present invention, a defectively shaped fuzz button is trapped within a slot of the slot plate such that the defectively shaped fuzz button does not slide into any jig hole of the contactor jig. Thus, the present invention efficiently filters out any defectively shaped fuzz button from being placed into a button hole of the fuzz button contactor.
The present invention may be used to particular advantage for efficiently loading a respective fuzz button into each of a high number of button holes on a fuzz button contactor used for testing a relatively large integrated circuit package. For example, a modem microprocessor integrated circuit package may have 321 pins which corresponds to a respective fuzz button placed into each of 321 button holes on the fuzz button contactor.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by considering the following detailed description of the invention which is presented with the attached drawings.